She looketh well to the ways of her household,
and eateth not the bread of idleness
Proverbs 31:27.
This text sums up my September 30 day challenge. More details tomorrow.
31 Days to Clean
I like lists, programs, and schedules. They are my “love language” for productivity. When I saw this 31 Days to Clean challenge on a Christian woman’s blog, I knew that I had to give it a try. Our house is relatively clean but I undergo spurts of productivity and end up doing massive cleaning on Fridays to ready the house for the Sabbath. My hope is that I can find a workable schedule and motivation to keep the house clean on a daily basis instead of skipping housework and then doing massive cleaning sessions.
Day 1 is all about priority. What are my priorities now versus what they should be? Right now, I have to admit that taking care of myself and making myself happy is way too high on the priority list. Here are what my priorities should be, my goal:
1. God – He should be the most important thing in my life. Without God, I have nothing. I want to spend more time in prayer, Bible study, and Scripture memorization.
Motivational Scripture:
“And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30).
“In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10).
2. My husband – God gave me a wonderful husband and I need to focus more on him than I do on myself! My husband demands very little from me but I know he would be thrilled if I put more of my energies into the little touches that will bless his life.
Motivational Scripture:
“…Her husband also, and he praises her: ‘Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all'” (Proverbs 31:38, 29).
“Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord” (Colossians 3:18).
3. Home – I want to keep our home clean. I want to feel that we can invite guests over at any time without worrying about the kitchen floor. I would like our home to feel inviting to us, a place to relax and spend time together.
Motivational Scripture:
“She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness” (Proverbs 31:27).
Women are “to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled” (Titus 2:5).
4. Church – My husband and I are still church-less. We’ve been floundering for months since our church was closed. We’ve visited other area churches but have yet to find one that we can call home. I’d like to get to know other Christians, find a Bible study, and get involved in some sort of ministry/outreach.
Motivational Scripture:
“And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11-13).
“For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20).
5. Personal – I have several hobbies that I’d like to learn more about and practice, mainly photography and writing. I also need to take care of my body with proper exercise, enough sleep, drinking plenty of water, etc.
Motivational Scripture:
“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).
Looking to the future
Now that our unemployment claim has been approved, I’ve been thinking about the immediate future. Our claim won’t cover many bills, but it will cover the rent and enable us to purchase groceries. Hubby is still looking for a job, but I have a feeling something will happen soon.
For a long time, my desire has been to be a wife, a homemaker and a mother. Hubby won’t offer me an idea of when he thinks we can start a family, but I am already a housewife. Even though we’ve prayed about returning to work full time, we believe that God intends for me to stay home.
Over the past month or so, I’ve been struggling with motivation. It’s hard to develop a routine, create goals, and settle into being a housewife when you don’t know if you are going to be living in the same state next week. I’ve been selling some of our possessions to cover a couple bills. I spend most of my time helping hubby with his job search and writing/editing cover letters. The rest of my housewife duties, goals, and aspirations have fallen by the wayside. I’m lucky if I even stay on top of dishes.
I really need to dedicate myself to being a homemaker. Even if we move next week, keeping the kitchen clean, laundry washed, and the house picked up now will create a more friendly home environment. I believe the home is important, and if I’m not performing this duty to the best of my ability, what is the point in me staying home? I will not neglect my duties of helping hubby with job searching, but I will shift my priorities so that I can both aid him and be a keeper at home.
Titus 2:4, 5 says that young women are “to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.” Regardless of where we live next week, I still have an obligation and a desire to fulfill this counsel.
Proverbs 31 also contains an excellent model for wives:
Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.
The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.
She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.
She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.
She is like the merchants’ ships; she bringeth her food from afar.
She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.
She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.
She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms.
She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night.
She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.
She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.
She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet.
She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple.
Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.
She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant.
Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.
She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.
She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.
Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.
Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.
Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.
Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.
I want to be this woman. I want to look well to the ways of my household, honor my husband, and most importantly, honor God.
The start of something new
I have procrastinated writing my first post. I’ve been putting pressure on myself to say something profound, to make sure that my first entry is perfect, before hitting the Publish button.
However, I’m not perfect. I’m just a Christian woman, a wife, seeking to please the Lord and my husband.
Six weeks ago, my employer called me into a conference room and told me that I was being laid off. I was relieved. It was an odd feeling, considering I’d been working there for four and a half years. That job was my entry into the “real world,” making me subject to real corporate drama, real annual reviews, and a real hard look at what matters.
However, I wasn’t happy working there. The job was good, the pay was good, but I never felt like I was making a difference. For a long time, I’ve wanted to be a wife, a homemaker, and eventually a mom.
Three and a half years ago, I met my husband. We had a brief courtship and married in October of 2005. Up until six weeks ago, I was working full time while trying to balance cooking, cleaning, and the growing desire to be at home. Being laid off was an answer to prayer. We prayed about it and my husband decided that I could stay home and be a full time homemaker.
This blog is about my thoughts and adventures in learning to be a homemaker, a better wife, and a Christian. I aspire to be a Proverbs 31 woman, looking well to the ways of my household. I have a lot to learn. With the Lord’s help, I can fulfill my calling to be a Proverbs 31 woman. Thanks for joining me in the journey.